A robotic kitchen system for preparing food items in combination with at least one kitchen appliance such as a fryer comprises an automated bin assembly, a robotic arm, and a basket held by the robotic arm. The automated bin assembly comprises at least one automated bin for holding the food items. A camera or sensor array collects image data of the food items in the bin(s). A central processor is operable to compute and provide directions to the first robotic arm and automated bin assembly based on the image data and stored data to (a) move the robotic arm to the bin; (b) actuate the bin to drop the food items from the bin into the basket; (c) and to move the basket into the fryer all without human interaction. Related methods are also described.

An automated cooking system for adding time and labor efficiencies in food production environments such as restaurants. The automated cooking system includes at least a fryer, a dispensing freezer, a hot holding station, a plurality of baskets, and a gantry system. The gantry system includes a gantry control for a gantry, configured to engage and move each of the baskets. The basket and gantry include interface elements for enabling precise movements and rapid opening and closing of baskets at the system. Aspects of an automated cooking system and a corresponding method for discharging cooked food product help to avoid the problems associated with manually operating a cooking system. Specifically, the system described herein provides for apparatuses and methods to cook and dispense food product in a more efficient manner with regard to both time and labor considerations within food production environments.

An automated cooking system for adding time and labor efficiencies has a fryer including a plurality of fryer vats, heating elements, and a vertical transport assembly associated with each of the fryer vats. The vertical transport assembly is configured to support and move a basket of food product into and out of the cooking medium at the fryer vat, and optionally also with reciprocating shaking movements as well. The vertical transport assembly includes a lift base, a platform support hanger, and a basket support platform. The basket support platform includes a tray-shaped platform portion defined by a wire rack construction that circumferentially surrounds a bottom portion of the basket to retain the basket, the platform portion having an angled entry taper to correct any misalignments of the basket and the basket support platform as a gantry moves the basket onto the basket support platform.

A fryer and method for cooking food products is provided that automates the movement of baskets carrying the food products. The fryer includes a cooking chamber with a heating element located therein for heating cooking medium in the cooking chamber. The fryer also includes at least one vertical transport assembly that selectively engages with and moves the basket vertically into and out of the cooking medium. A horizontal transport assembly selectively engages with and moves the basket horizontally between different positions. The horizontal transport assembly hands off the basket to and from the vertical transport assembly, and first and second hooks on the horizontal transport assembly engage with front and rear receiving mechanisms on the basket to continuously maintain at least two points of contact with the basket. This allows for controlled pivotal movements of the basket when food products are to be added or removed from the basket.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to food preparation systems and associated automated gantry systems. An example automated food preparation system may include a housing that supports one or more baskets therein and a gantry system. The gantry system may include a retrieval arm and a drive system operably coupled with the retrieval arm. The drive system may cause movement of the retrieval arm in at least two directions relative to the housing. In operation, the retrieval arm may engage a basket and cause movement of the basket about the housing. In some instances, an ejection mechanism is provided that receives the basket from the retrieval arm and causes removal of the contents of the basket.

A control method for operating a cooking oven in a deep-frying program which is configured for a predetermined set temperature is disclosed, wherein the cooking oven has an oven cavity, a tray arranged within the oven cavity, a bottom heating element for heating the bottom of the cavity, a fan located at the rear wall of the cavity, and a ring heating element surrounding the fan. The method comprises the following stages: (a) a heat-up phase in which the ring heating element is continuously operated and the bottom heating element is intermittently operated, the heat-up phase being conducted until reaching a temperature of the oven cavity which corresponds to the set temperature plus a predetermined first hysteresis; (b) a subsequent holding phase in which the bottom heating element and the ring heating element are non-operative; and (c) a frying phase conducted upon reaching a temperature within the oven cavity which corresponds to the set temperature minus a predetermined second hysteresis, the frying phase comprising continuously or intermittently operating the ring heating element, and intermittently operating the bottom heating element so as to raise the temperature within the oven cavity to a temperature which corresponds to the set temperature plus a predetermined third hysteresis.

A degree of deterioration of frying oil in a fryer can be assessed easily and accurately. A frying oil deterioration assessment device 41 comprises a recording unit 45 that records types of fried foods 19 fried in frying oil 17 in an electric fryer 14 and a fried quantity for each type, a holding unit 46 that holds correlation data indicating a relationship between the fried quantity for each type of fried food 19 and a degree of deterioration of the frying oil 17, and an assessment unit 47 that assesses the degree of deterioration of the frying oil 17 on the basis of the correlation data and the recorded types of fried food 19 and fried quantity of each type.

A cooking system for cooking food is provided, the system including a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive a food container. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A lid is configured to cover the upper portion of the housing and the opening to the hollow chamber in a closed position. The lid is moveable to an open position where the lid does not cover the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with at least one of the housing and the lid. The cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a pressure cooking mode and a dry cooking mode. In the pressure cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a pressure cooker and in the dry cooking mode, the cooking system is operable as a dry cooker.

A heater system includes an integrated heater device and a control system. The integrated heater device includes a thermocouple for measuring temperature and one or more multiportion resistive elements that are operable as heaters to create a temperature differential between the fluid and air to detect the fluid, and as sensors to measure a fluid level. The control device operates the integrated heater device as a sensor or heater based on one or more performance characteristics of the heater system and self-calibrates the heater device.

Provided is a system for reporting frying oil processing work information, with which frying oil processing work can be appropriately carried out. The frying oil processing work information reporting system comprises a deterioration state analysis unit 55 that analyzes a state of deterioration of frying oil 17 in a fryer 14, a processing work information recognition unit 56 that recognizes information about processing work for the frying oil 17 on the basis of the result of the analysis performed on the state of deterioration of the frying oil 17, and a first reporting unit 57 that is set up in a shop 32 and that reports the processing work information.